The New Media Classroom: Narrative, Inquiry, and Technology in the U.S. History Survey
The American Social History Project/Center for Media & Learning (ASHP/CML) in collaboration with the American Studies Association's Crossroads Project, is accepting applications from K-12 and college teachers of the U.S History (or comparable interdisciplinary humanities) survey course, to take part in the 2000-2001 New Media Classroom program, held at regional center locations across the country. The program is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Combining local, face-to-face training and on-going support -- with national linkages energized by on-line communications -- the ASHP's New Media Classroom program has pioneered an exciting approach to classroom use of new media in humanities education. This approach addresses content and pedagogy as well as technology, as faculty explore new scholarship, high quality digital resources, and effective classroom strategies to develop student understanding of key issues in American history and culture. Experienced faculty share insights and generate innovative curriculum while deepening and rethinking their classroom practices. Our experience working with hundreds of faculty in high schools and colleges nationwide provides a rich base for understanding the promise and the problems associated with the use of new media in humanities education.
The year-long program begins with a 5-day summer institute and continues with follow-up workshops and seminars through the end of the school year, June 2001. Each NMC Regional Center program focuses on a specific theme or area of concentration to engage faculty in an examination of the issues of narrative and inquiry as they pertain to the construction of a new, more inclusive understanding of American history and culture, new media resources, and classroom learning. Those themes or topic areas have included migration, studies of the Western Plains, local history, developing a humanities Web site, multicultural studies, and on-line writing and student literacy.
Year-long seminars and workshops will employ a mix of hands-on activities, that include both demonstration and presentation. Participating faculty will explore a range of new humanities electronic resources found on CD-ROM and the World Wide Web, and develop strategies for using new media with students. Select activities scheduled include:
examining 'inquiry and archive' hands-on assignments
developing a new media lesson
roundtable discussions with educational media producers and designers
constructing Web sites for the humanities classroom
designing student multimedia projects
how to use search engines, and much, much more.
During the school year, participating faculty will take part in a national on-line forum, designed to generate a reflective community of humanities educators sharing curriculum, resources, and insights on teaching and learning about U.S. history and culture.
Cost for participation is $450.00, payable by your institution. (A limited number of stipends are available.) Each participant is responsible for arranging travel and lodging. Meals and curriculum materials (including free software) will be provided.
Specifics for each regional program will vary. If you are interested in applying, send a letter of inquiry or email message to one of the Centers located in the following school or college:
Pembroke Hill School
5121 State Line Road
Kansas City, MO 64112
"Wired: Using New Media to Enrich the U.S. History Survey"
Washington State University
General Education Program
Admin. Annex 301B
Pullman, WA 99164-4133
"New Technologies in Humanities Classrooms: Literacy for the 21st Century"
PO Box 1002
Millersville, PA 17551-0302
"Cultural Crossings: Migration and the Construction of Identity in American Society"
Dept. of Social Science
Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY
199 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
"Crossing Urban Borders"
Doherty Memorial High School
29 Highland Street
Worcester, MA 01602
"The New Media Classroom: Building a National Conversation on Inquiry, Narrative and Technology in U.S. History and Humanities Courses"
For further information about the ASHP/CML’s teaching with technology programs, please contact Donna Thompson at the address below or visit our website.
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